Chapter Four
Brand stormed down the hallway and managed not to punch his fists through the walls. He saw red from the rage that pulsed through his entire body as if it were a living thing. He paused by the guest bath, took a deep breath and stepped inside to flip on the light. He managed not to slam the door behind him. He met his reflection in the mirror and winced at some of the hair he hadn’t been able to control when he’d returned to skin.
Charma had been abused, hit. She was sickly thin. Her clothes had hidden the sight of her rib bones. She appeared half starved. He closed his eyes, careful not to pierce his bottom lip with his fangs when he bit down to muffle another howl of rage. The urge to shred the male who’d forced her mating nearly drove him into hunt mode.
It had been difficult, picturing his Charma out in the world living without him. He’d imagined her many times—mated, with kids. It had tortured his soul. It had bothered him, thinking she might be happier with someone else but he’d never considered that she’d been forced into a hellish nightmare of shifter politics. She’d been traded by her parents to the pride leader’s son. He understood their motives but it enraged him. He’d rather die than hand any child, even a grown one, over to someone to abuse.
Do her parents know how she was treated? He shoved that thought back. He’d kill them himself if they had stood back and allowed it to happen. His rage continued to build. They had to realize something was wrong. She’s lost so much damn weight. He forced his breathing to slow when he became agitated enough to pant.
I can’t mate her right now. That thought made his wolf recoil in protest. She was too thin, too weakened and probably too scared to have a male go at her the way he would if she were naked on his bed. He might accidentally hurt or frighten her. Either wasn’t an option he was willing to risk.
Most, if not all, of his resentment toward Charma for leaving him faded. She’d loved him but she’d also loved her family. He understood how far someone would go to protect blood. He hadn’t been blessed with siblings but his cousins might as well be his brothers. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for them. Charma had been put in a hellish situation and made a deal with the devil to keep her family safe. They gave my Charma to that prick.
He wished she’d told him everything in the past. He would have moved heaven and hell to bring her entire family into Harris territory. He’d probably upset her by tearing into her parents a bit over their eagerness to sacrifice her future for their own but younger siblings were involved. He hated to admit it but he could see why they’d do it. It wasn’t something he agreed with but if she’d just been honest, he could have prevented them from making the choice they had.
His uncle would have agreed to accept Charma’s family into the pack but his aunt would have gone on a rampage. He winced, remembering what she’d done to Anton’s mate. Aunt Eve was the reason a bunch of feline shifters were about to attack the pack. She’d put her own son’s mate in danger because she’d been desperate to be rid of a she-cat.
He and his cousins had rescued Shannon from the fate Eve had tried to deal her. There was no telling what underhanded thing his aunt would have attempted to do to Charma and her family if he’d moved them into the territory. It no longer mattered though. Eve wasn’t a problem since she’d been banished from the pack but in the past she could have posed a deadly threat.
Either way, they couldn’t change history. Charma was in his bathroom showering. He wanted to claim her but it wasn’t going to be easy or fast. The son of a bitch she’d been forced to submit to had done damage. She needed time to heal and get to know him again in order to feel totally safe in taking a new mate. His wolf didn’t agree, too eager to claim her. It was hard to control the urge since the animal was too close to the surface to be pushed back.
“Goddamn heat,” he ground out.
He’d never be able to keep totally in control of his body if she were naked in his arms. He was man enough to know his limitations and loved her enough to admit he posed a real danger to her in his condition. Males in heat weren’t known for their gentleness or their ability to contain the lust that overcame them during sex. She could take him in the past but he wasn’t so certain about now.
He smiled at the memories of Charma from their time together. She’d been a tough little thing, aggressive as hell in heat and she could give as good as she got. He’d never worried about crushing her or accidently snapping something. She’d had generous curves, meat on those bones, and the plushest ass he’d ever had the pleasure of pounding against when he’d taken her.